Welcome to DBSTalk

Welcome to DBSTalk. Our community covers all aspects of video delivery solutions including: Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), Cable Television, and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). We also have forums to discuss popular television programs, home theater equipment, and internet streaming service providers. Members of our community include experts who can help you solve technical problems, industry professionals, company representatives, and novices who are here to learn.

Like most online communities you must register to view or post in our community. Sign-up is a free and simple process that requires minimal information. Be a part of our community by signing in or creating an account. The Digital Bit Stream starts here!

Honestly I cannot stand Fox coverage of anything especially MLB but at least this is progress. I hope the other Saturday regional games are made available to MLB Extra Innings. I'm tired of having to watch only one regional game in my area while other teams are on fox somewhere else.

Honestly I cannot stand Fox coverage of anything especially MLB but at least this is progress. I hope the other Saturday regional games are made available to MLB Extra Innings. I'm tired of having to watch only one regional game in my area while other teams are on fox somewhere else.

Now if MLB could just take a long look at Blackout territories!!!

You could try a MLB.TV subscription and get a Roku box. The subscription is cheaper than extra innings and all games are in HD. With them no longer blacking out games thats a win win. Or if you have a ps3 or an Xbox 360 its the same way.

Where are all the stooges who made dozens of posts defending the previous MLB and Fox deal as "smart business" and "right" for them because it somehow protected the local affiliates? Oh nevermind, it doesn't matter what decision or deals they make it's always the right thing because they are both multibillion dollar corporations, and we all know they always make the right business decisions.

I was really hoping NBC would get the deal. National Fox coverage is pretty bad all around, especially in MLB. Their announcers, graphics, and video quality are sub-par at best. That being said it is better that they aren't stuck in 1960 anymore with Fox Saturday Baseball.

As far as the TV territories, this idea has been in my head for a while: Keep the in-market territories exactly as they are but change one thing: Maximum of 1 (or 2 in NY, LA or Chicago) team out-of-market blackouts. This solution stops the excessive blackouts in certain areas of the country, and for example keeps Reds fans in Memphis from having to buy EI just to watch Reds games because they are still "in-market" but they could also watch on MLB.TV because it's likely the Cardinals would be the only exclusive team in that territory in my scenario. The teams don't lose fan territory, they just lose exclusivity for some of their territory.

I am happy that FOX produces MLB games with 16:9 graphics placement and 16:9 framing as well. Now if they would eliminate the ticker at the bottom altogether...I'd be ecstatic. Every sports broadcast should be this way.

Where are all the stooges who made dozens of posts defending the previous MLB and Fox deal as "smart business" and "right" for them because it somehow protected the local affiliates? Oh nevermind, it doesn't matter what decision or deals they make it's always the right thing because they are both multibillion dollar corporations, and we all know they always make the right business decisions.

I was really hoping NBC would get the deal. National Fox coverage is pretty bad all around, especially in MLB. Their announcers, graphics, and video quality are sub-par at best. That being said it is better that they aren't stuck in 1960 anymore with Fox Saturday Baseball.

As far as the TV territories, this idea has been in my head for a while: Keep the in-market territories exactly as they are but change one thing: Maximum of 1 (or 2 in NY, LA or Chicago) team out-of-market blackouts. This solution stops the excessive blackouts in certain areas of the country, and for example keeps Reds fans in Memphis from having to buy EI just to watch Reds games because they are still "in-market" but they could also watch on MLB.TV because it's likely the Cardinals would be the only exclusive team in that territory in my scenario. The teams don't lose fan territory, they just lose exclusivity for some of their territory.

I didn't see many people "defending the Fox exclusivity window", as savy business.

Saw a lot of people saying it couldn't be addressed until a New Contract was agreed upon. Thus they were correct.

Especially when the "usual suspects" posted threads every Saturday insisting They were "Mad as Hell" and something had to be done today. Wasn't going to ever happen during the existing contract.

I do like your idea about restricting the multiple teams claiming of the same markets.

Don't think it will happen but still a good idea.

My idea during the duration of the existing Fox contract has been to only allow two games for Fox to put in their exclusive Saturday window and insist all other 26 MLB teams start their games outside the TV viewing window.

Glad to see the changes coming in 2014 though that will make it a moot point.

Also found it interesting to see that MLB allowed Fox Media Group to double the number of Windows to broadcast in yearly from 26 to 52.

12 Games will be considered National Fox Games and the other 40 Games will be shown on other Fox Channels. Very likely either a FX package or a package for the Rumored All sports network that Speed will be converted into soon.

You could try a MLB.TV subscription and get a Roku box. The subscription is cheaper than extra innings and all games are in HD. With them no longer blacking out games thats a win win. Or if you have a ps3 or an Xbox 360 its the same way.

How does that make things any better? The blackout rules are the same. And the PQ is substantially worse.

"MLB on Tuesday announced an eight-year national media rights agreements with FOX and TBS, and combined with the recently announced ESPN deal, the three contracts will deliver a combined $12.4 billion -- more than a 100-percent increase in annual rights fees to MLB over the current arrangements."

Where do you think that $$$ is going to be coming from? It's from networks demanding more from local affiliates which in turn will demand more from pay tv providers which will lead to more squabbles over channels being pulled and finger pointing. It's from TBS and ESPN trying to recoup their (I mean our) $ they threw at MLB. It also would not be a stretch to see MLBEI increase in price since you will now be getting access to more games.

Bottom line - this (the rights fees, not the Saturday games) is bad for the baseball fan and sports fans in general because we are paying for this.

Where are all the stooges who made dozens of posts defending the previous MLB and Fox deal as "smart business" and "right" for them because it somehow protected the local affiliates? Oh nevermind, it doesn't matter what decision or deals they make it's always the right thing because they are both multibillion dollar corporations, and we all know they always make the right business decisions.

I was really hoping NBC would get the deal. National Fox coverage is pretty bad all around, especially in MLB. Their announcers, graphics, and video quality are sub-par at best. That being said it is better that they aren't stuck in 1960 anymore with Fox Saturday Baseball.

As far as the TV territories, this idea has been in my head for a while: Keep the in-market territories exactly as they are but change one thing: Maximum of 1 (or 2 in NY, LA or Chicago) team out-of-market blackouts. This solution stops the excessive blackouts in certain areas of the country, and for example keeps Reds fans in Memphis from having to buy EI just to watch Reds games because they are still "in-market" but they could also watch on MLB.TV because it's likely the Cardinals would be the only exclusive team in that territory in my scenario. The teams don't lose fan territory, they just lose exclusivity for some of their territory.

Actually I defend the right of a business to do whatever it wants with its product when it is not that big a deal and you know ahead of time what you are getting. This is baseball, not solving world hunger. So in that vein, yes I'll defend them. No one died, lost a job, didn't get medical care, or any other item of importance over this. Never said it was a savvy business decision once. Personally, I hated the rule but I subbed knowing what it was in advance every year. And I'm glad it's gone. I had been telling my wife for a month I would probably no longer sub due to the amount of baseball on TV without it. But with this I may change my mind.

Good news that the black outs for Saturday games are lifted. Bad news is that FOX is still in the baseball business. I have never liked their production of games. I wish NBC could have got the Saturday package. I always thought they did by far the best job of covering baseball by the networks.

Good news that the black outs for Saturday games are lifted. Bad news is that FOX is still in the baseball business. I have never liked their production of games. I wish NBC could have got the Saturday package. I always thought they did by far the best job of covering baseball by the networks.

Any additional Saturday coverage is great, but I wish they would have added all the Fox regional games too.

Yes. Without them, this news isn't all that meaningful to me -- most teams are now scheduling games outside the FOX window, so the number of added available games won't be huge. This past season, the majority of games I wanted to see but could not were FOX games being shown elsewhere regionally.

Yes. Without them, this news isn't all that meaningful to me -- most teams are now scheduling games outside the FOX window, so the number of added available games won't be huge. This past season, the majority of games I wanted to see but could not were FOX games being shown elsewhere regionally.

Good news that the black outs for Saturday games are lifted. Bad news is that FOX is still in the baseball business. I have never liked their production of games. I wish NBC could have got the Saturday package. I always thought they did by far the best job of covering baseball by the networks.

You do realize that Gowdy, Garagiola and Kubek wouldn't be the announcers?

Any additional Saturday coverage is great, but I wish they would have added all the Fox regional games too.

Did I miss something? They did. They just said in the deal those games will no longer be blacked out on MLB EI. So by my understanding those 3 or 4 games a week (more when they were airing at 7pm in July) will now be available on MLB EI. Did I read it wrong?

Any additional Saturday coverage is great, but I wish they would have added all the Fox regional games too.

While we can assume they are not included in any Extra Innings package, nothing in the press release says they cannot be. If Fox is giving up the exclusive window, they may be more amenable to putting them in EI.